Editors’ Choice: Road Rockets Under $30,000 — the results

There were surprises aplenty in our tough challenge of six popular sports cars

By Derek McNaughton

Originally published: August 15, 2014

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We had a problem. Every car chosen for Editors’ Choice: Road Rockets Under $30,000 was to be a four-cylinder sports car. But then tone-deaf Brian Harper (not usually one to cheat) arrived in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe on the morning of the event. And something didn’t sound right. Actually, the car sounded too right — it roared deliciously — but this was precisely the problem.

Requested from Hyundai Canada was a 2.0T in R-Spec trim with an MSRP of $28,999. Supplied was a 3.8 GT costing significantly more than our $30,000 threshold. Regardless, a decision had to be made whether to disqualify the Genesis before it entered the contest. With a 348-horsepower V6, instead of a 274 four-cylinder, the Genesis would clearly be the fastest. At least in a straight line.

On the other hand, at approximately 3,500 pounds, the big Genesis — even though shod with Brembo calipers — would have a noticeable weight disadvantage against the lithe Civic Si and Scion FR-S. Besides, Hyundai isn’t known for racing exploits. So, the decision was made to let the chips fall where they may. If the Genesis didn’t dominate with that kind of power, the results would speak for themselves.

2014 Hyundai Genesis CoupeDarren Begg, Driving

And, indeed, on the back straight at Calabogie, the Genesis had the highest speed, easily approaching 200 km/h. But the brakes, Brembo or not, weren’t happy about all that weight and all the speed. After just a few brisk laps, the pedal became soft and less responsive, often to the point of missing apexes. Score one for the light cars.

The braking issue wasn’t confined to the Genesis, however, as all our road racers — save the Fiesta ST — saw various degrees of brake fade, though admittedly none as extreme as the Genesis. Calabogie, with some 22 turns, eats brakes and tires. Some racing pads might have prevented a little of the smoke that billowed from red hot rotors in pit lane.

Another surprise was the all-new, seventh-gen 2015 Volkswagen GTI. On the drive up to Calabogie Motorsports Park, the GTI felt supremely capable, twisting through the Lanark Highlands like a garter snake through grass, the 210-horsepower engine sounding much better at high rpm than low. Its improved torque, at 258 pound-feet, is the same as the car that won the challenge in the end.

2015 Volkswagen GTIDarren Begg, Driving

But out on the track, where abilities, or lack thereof, are laid bare, the GTI got befuddled, its tail wagging left and right under hard braking, the traction control stepping in early and not being able to completely disengage as the car flung about into the bends. The extra 51 lb.-ft. of torque over the sixth-gen GTI is definitely a plus, but the GTI felt more like a Grand Tourer than a track star. My belief that it would win the challenge looked to be the first victim of the rigours of racetrack abuse.

Even more of a surprise was Ford’s Fiesta ST. Not much was expected of the pint-sized runabout since we had tried to source a Focus ST, the front-wheel-drive Fiesta only accepted as a last-minute replacement. But, oh my, what a delight it is to hammer this 197-horsepower car. It was completely in its element on the track oversteering or understeering upon command and never once landing any of the editors over their heads. It may well be the very best front-wheel-drive sports car on the market.

2014 Ford Fiesta STDarren Begg, Driving

That can’t be said of the Civic Si, which, although spritely, felt heavy, slower than the rest and unfocused when taken to the limit of the tire’s adhesion. The Si is definitely more of a GT car, if one can indeed have a Gran Turismo compact. It will reward those looking for a comfortable ride, but at Calabogie it finished last in both categories, finishing with the slowest time and chosen least favourite. It’s a pity, too, because everyone wanted to like the Civic. The problem was the Civic didn’t like the track as much as we liked the car.

The two darlings of the day were unquestionably the 2015 Subaru WRX and 2014 Scion FR-S. The Scion wasn’t able to take home trophies due to a simple lack of horsepower, but it was definitely one of the most fun cars on the track, rewarding with poise, balance and an ability to avoid understeer — even with its Prius-type tires.

The WRX, by comparison, showed its might with AWD prowess. Combined with that kind of traction and 268 horsepower (and 258 lb.-ft. of torque), it came first in overall track speed — and was surprisingly chosen No. 1 favourite from the voting editors. Though the suspension was quite firm in the WRX, and the car is way, way too quiet on the track — so much so, it’s easy to miss the redline if not paying attention — it says a lot that it took the crown away from the more powerful Genesis Coupe.

2015 Subaru WRXDarren Begg, Driving

The results, then, for fastest lap time around Calabogie Motorsports Park as set by Bruce Gregory, a Calabogie co-founder and Porsche GT3 Cup driver, are as follows:

Then, even after the results were tabulated, our high-speed exercise had one last surprise. The above lap times and objective evaluations may have provided a professional response to the question as to which cars were better than others, but the rankings changed distinctly when our six editors were simply asked which car they’d buy with their own money. Two immediately pointed at the Fiesta, three at the VW GTI, one at the FR-S. No one chose the Civic, and no one picked the WRX — even though it won the two main events.

So what should we make of all this? What does it say that no one chose the winning WRX? Just that in cars, like life, we have wants and needs, that we make decisions as much on the subjective as the objective. And while it’s always valuable to be pragmatic, it’s just as important to follow your heart.